Rail-joint



RAIL JOINT.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLSON L. MCLAUGHLIN, OF HARVEY, IOVA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.431,988, dated July 8, 1890.

Application led April 16, 1890. Serial No. 348,149. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLsoN L. MCLAUGH- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rail-Joints; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de-V scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to iron and steel rails in railway and other rail joints, and its objects are, first, to effect a durable joint without the aid of fish-plates; second, to effect a reversible joint; third, to prevent wear and dislocation due to atmospheric expansion and contraction of the rails; fourth, to lock the bolt rigidly to the rail; fifth, to form a continuous level surface sixth, to prevent the joints from being knocked down, and, seventh, to accomplish these ends with structural simplicity and economy. I attain these purposes by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a plan View of a railjoint embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a central horizontal longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 41c is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the curved washer employed; and Fig. 0 isa side elevation of one end of the rail, showing the formation of the joint.

The same designations indicate corresponding parts in theseveral views.

Heretofore the j oinder of contiguous ends of adjacent rails where no sh-plate is used has been effected by beveling the ends to approximately a feather-edge, providing the web of one end with a tongue and the web of the corresponding` end of the adjoining rail with a groove. In my invention the ends are counterpart, each having both a tongue and a groove, and the size of the ball of rail is maintained throughout the joint perpendicularly to flange of rail, whereby as well reversibility of the rails is permitted as structural strength secured. The perforations heretofore used to pass bolts have been both round and oblong; but the perforations of my rails are oblong and conical, the base of the cone being at center of rail or on inner surface of tongue and groove, and summit of cone being on outer surface of rail, which tends to neu-` tralize the expansive effect of atmospheric changes on the rail. The bolts used in my invention are also conical and oblong, and the head of the same is curved, and instead of a straight washer I impart curvature thereto also, which serves to lock the nut.

A A are adjacent ends of contiguous rails having counterpart beveled ends adapted to iit together. The innersurface of each web is provided with a tongue F, which becomes a groove in the rear part thereof by reason of the increasing thickness of its walls, due to the bevel. Oblong conical perforations E are made through the ends of the rails and through the curved washer C to pass the oblong conical bolts B, which are threaded at the end to engage nuts D.

It will be observed that by the use of this invention either end of a rail maybe fitted to either end of another rail, which reversal is especially desirable at curvatures in the track,

owing to increased wear.

Having thus fully described my improvements, what I claim is l. As an improved article of manufacture, a rail whose ends are beveled, the inner surface of whose web is provided with an integral tongue, which becomes a groove rearwardly by reason of the increasing thickness of its Walls due to the bevel.

2. The ends A A of adjacent rails, beveled as shown and described, the inner surfaces of whose webs are-provided with an integral tongue F, constructed as illustrated, having conical oblong perforations E,in combination with the oblong conical bolts B, the curved washers C, similarly perforated, and the nuts 

